The 4 Most Common Reasons a New Hire Fails

A bad hire can cost your organization a lot of money and time. Here are the four most common reasons a hire fails. Sometimes these causes are unavoidable, but the more thorough you are in the hiring process, the better the chances of a successful hire. 

1. Undiscovered character flaw

The candidate and/or references did not disclose a behavior or event that could have serious consequences to the organization.

2. Not compatible with the organization, team or supervisor

The chemistry or fit is not working. Assessing fit is one of the most difficult parts of screening and hiring.

3. Misaligned expectations

The employee understood one set of expectations and the employer understood another.

4. Poor emotional and relational skills

This has proven to be a serious and common cause for failure. The candidate does not know how to form and sustain healthy relational chemistry with the supervisor or others in the organization.

While it is not easy to assess character or competency, it is “easier” than assessing fit or compatibility. Why? Because character flaws can sometimes be identified by way of quality reference checking (if the references are truthful!), and competency can often be assessed by references, credentials, and work history. However, compatibility with you, the team, and the organization cannot be known for certain beforehand since you cannot really know until you have extensive time together. In other words, it is a bit of a gamble for both you and the candidate!

Most leaders, boards, and consultants would not be foolish enough to say they always hit a “home run” when it comes to hiring. There is no guaranteed way to make perfect hires. But there are proven ways to increase the likelihood of success. For some helpful hiring suggestions that will reduce the potential of hiring the wrong people and increase the probability of hiring people who will succeed in your organization, read our article Home Run Hiring. 

We also offer guidance on the recruitment and selection of new staff members. Learn more here. 

Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.